An Event Planner's Guide to Lisbon
The vibrant city of Lisbon is spread across the Tagus River, surrounded by a mix of ocean and beaches in Cascais and mountains and nature in Sintra. A mix of landscapes along with thousands of years of history means there is a choice of incentive activities and venues ranging from golf-course hotels to palaces available for event hire.
It’s also good to note that the sun shines 290 days a year and after a short flight from the UK (1–3 hours from most European cities), our group were delighted to arrive to the sunny climate. The airport itself is centrally located within Lisbon, with only a fifteen minute transfer to the city centre where we stayed at the leafy Avenida da Liberdade — the central artery running through the heart of the city.
Lisbon offers a refreshing mix of ways to get around sustainably and we certainly took advantage of this to get to and from venues. We explored the city via an eco-friendly electric Tuk-Tuk, took part in a speed boat tour, rode the iconic yellow tram, and enjoyed the self driving car experience of a Spinach transfer to some incredible venues.
RESTAURANTE PAP’AÇORDA
Now set above the iconic Time Out Lisboa market, the restaurant has been serving up delicious Portugese classics since 1981. The loft riverside space offers two spacious rooms each with a bar, for up to 200 people.
PÁTIO DA GALÉ & SALA DO RISCO
Set along the beautiful Praça do Comércio riverside square, these adjoining venues are characterised by their trendy limestone architecture. The 1500 m² courtyard is flooded with daylight thanks to its roof that can also be covered. The equally atmospheric Salo Do Risco’s domed ceilings and symmetrical columns provide a creative backdrop for conferences, exhibitions and receptions.
The Park of Nations
Less than ten minutes from the airport, the waterfront area is Lisbon at its most modern. It’s home to many green spaces, a cable car and FIL — Lisbon’s main exhibition and convention centre with a total area of 100 000m² across four halls.
Belém
Belém is a symbol of the history of the Portuguese Maritime Discoveries, making it fitting that we travelled by speed boat tour to see the UNESCO World Heritage sites of Jerónimos Monastery and Belém Tower from the river. It’s also the original home of Portugal’s most famous pastry, the pastel de nata originally called pastel de Belém.
SUD LISBOA
With an excellent location on the banks of the Tagus river SUD Hall offers stunning views and a contemporary, spacious design. The multifunctional venue is spread across the 1,000 m² ground floor and first floor, with an outdoor terrace and a connecting passage to the stunning pool lounge on the rooftop bar perfect for a cocktail reception.
Cascais
30 minutes from Lisboa, Cascais’ landscape is one of greenery, sand dunes and views over the ocean that provides the perfect setting for inspiring team building and many choices of golf and water activities.
Take for example the luxury offerings provided by the Onyria Quinta De Marinha Hotel, the Grande Real Villa Italia or the Hotel Cascais Miragem.
At Broadsword, we offer global venue finding services alongside event management, production and logistic services. Get in touch with us to organise your event in Lisbon.